title: The patient presenting with 'acopia'.
abstract: Patients may be referred to Acute Medical Units (AMUs) with a diagnosis of 'acopia'. This term is offensive and lazy, implying fault on the part of the patient and allowing the assessing doctor to erroneously label the patient as a 'social admission' when, in fact, such patients are likely to be frail with co-morbidities and have an acute (potentially reversible) illness. Frail older patients should be assessed using the principles of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, informed by an understanding of the concept of frailty and of geriatric syndromes such as falls and delirium.
authors.affiliation: Pinderfields Hospital, ST4 Elderly Medicine, Aberford Road, Wakefield, WF1 4DG, UK.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ninan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stopford
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003248:Constipation / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology